A leading flu expert has warned that it is very likely Britain will be hit by a swine flu pandemic as autumn arrives. An expert of virology, Professor John Oxford from the Queen Mary School of Medicine has said that the re-opening of schools and universities after the summer break and the return of workers from their summer holidays will create the ideal environment for swine flu to spread.
He has suggested that there may already be cases in the UK that have gone undetected, pointing to sporadic cases that have appeared without links to people who have been travelling. He believes this shows the flu is ‘silently’ spreading. So far, there are 244 confirmed cases in the UK. Ireland has recently announced their second patient, a school boy believed to be a pupil at Eton College, where there has been an outbreak.
Scientists will be keenly studying the spread of the flu virus in the Southern Hemisphere, where countries such as Australia and South Africa have already entered their winter season, traditionally the peak flu season. The spread of the virus there will give a good indication of what the UK may expect when summer ends.
Professor Oxford said that it was crucial that if a pandemic does arrive in the UK, then people continue as far as possible to continue with their normal routines. He warned that otherwise, an economic crisis could be the result, but with social distancing and some protective measures, such as shielding the mouth with the crook of the arm when coughing, there would be no need for people to avoid work or school.